Manav Suthar 3-21 puts India in control against Afghanistan

Manav Suthar stars on debut as India leave Afghanistan reeling in one-off Test cricket news image
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India tightened control of the one-off Test against Afghanistan on day two in New Chandigarh, with debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar taking 3/21 after India declared at 564/8. Afghanistan closed at 113/5 in 39.5 overs, still trailing by 451 runs, according to the Times of India report.

India’s 564/8 declaration gave the bowlers a large cushion

India built the match position through a heavy first-innings total before captain Shubman Gill declared shortly after Washington Sundar reached 52 not out. Gill made 126, KL Rahul scored 100, and Sai Sudharsan and Rishabh Pant each made 81.

Mohammed Siraj added late runs with 22 off 12 balls as India reached 564/8 in 127 overs. For Afghanistan, Mohammad Saleem Safi was the leading bowler with 6/140, his first wickets in international cricket after four wicketless appearances.

Suthar struck in his first Test over and kept Afghanistan pinned down

Manav Suthar gave India an immediate breakthrough in his first over in Test cricket when Abdul Malik top-edged an attempted sweep to backward square leg. The wicket gave India early control after the declaration.

Prasidh Krishna then removed Sediqullah Atal after tea with a nip-backer that hit the stumps. Suthar continued to bowl tight spells and later forced Rahmanullah Gurbaz to edge to slip.

Rahmat Shah resisted as Afghanistan still lost half the side

Rahmat Shah ended the day unbeaten on 43 and became the first Afghanistan batter to reach 1,000 Test runs. Hashmatullah Shahidi helped add 36 runs with Rahmat before Prasidh trapped the Afghanistan captain lbw.

Suthar claimed his third wicket before stumps when Afsar Zazai closed the bat face early and returned a catch to the bowler. Prasidh finished the day with 2/27, while Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav also kept pressure on Afghanistan’s batters.

Brief scores show India’s 451-run lead at stumps

India lead by 451 runs after two days, with Afghanistan 113/5 and still facing a major first-innings deficit entering day three.

Team Score Key batting Key bowling
India 564/8 declared in 127 overs Shubman Gill 126, KL Rahul 100, Sai Sudharsan 81, Rishabh Pant 81, Washington Sundar 52 not out Mohammad Saleem Safi 6/140
Afghanistan 113/5 in 39.5 overs Rahmat Shah 43 not out, Hashmatullah Shahidi 29 Manav Suthar 3/21, Prasidh Krishna 2/27

Afghanistan’s remaining batters must reduce a 451-run deficit on day three, while India will look to press their advantage after taking five wickets before stumps.